People keep saying that Captain America is good, although old-fashioned, fun, as if being old fashioned is something the film succeeds in spite of being. This is wrongheaded thinking. Captain America is a wonderful superhero movie, Marvel Studio’s best alongside Iron Man, precisely because it captures the old-fashioned spirit of American war films, superhero comics, and a heroism that no longer exists in our modern era. Of course, this sort of straight-laced tone wouldn’t be appropriate for every superhero movie. It specifically takes Captain America and his Boy Scout, by-the-book goodness to make it really sing.

The story follows Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a 90-pound asthmatic who lacks the physique to fulfill his dream of serving his country, as he signs up for a secret government program that turns him into the super-soldier, Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers enlists a crack team of American commandos and endeavours to destroy the Nazi deep research division, Hydra, led by monstrous super-soldier, Johann Schmidt a.k.a. the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). It’s a pulpy story with a morally pure hero, a ramshackle adventure full of pseudoscience and mythical powers, and Nazis for villains!

Director Joe Johnston worked on a similar pulpy adventure film back in 1991when he made The Rocketeer, and that film works as a warm-up of sorts for Captain America. Johnston, a protégé of Spielberg’s, is a hit and miss director. When he’s on the mark, his films seem influenced by the best aspects of the Spielberg school of filmmaking: crisp visuals, energetic and coherent action sequences and conventionally emotional storytelling. When’s he’s not on the mark, his films are little more than good-looking turkeys.

Luckily with Captain America Johnston has made his best film. Taking more than one nod from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Captain America’s visuals are impressive, its action sequences are thrilling and well choreographed, and its pace moves with enough briskness and good humor to make the two hours go by quickly. It’s a good fit for Johnston’s traditional style of filmmaking, with his love of conventional story arcs and morally clear protagonists.

Speaking of the protagonist, Evans proves himself more than adequately in the title role, dismissing any of the negative talk that preceded the film when it was heard that Johnny Storm from Fantastic Four would also be playing Captain America. Besides his boyish good looks and impressive physique, Evans does well humanizing this nationalistic hero.

Evans’ Rogers isn’t a blank-slate do-gooder and war symbol, but an ordinary Brooklyn kid who has always wanted a chance to prove himself. Even after he’s turned into Captain America, he remains the little man struggling against bullies and doing what’s right regardless of the opposition. He’s a genuinely good person who always challenges himself because he knows it’s the right thing to do. As I’ve said, such a morally good hero is a rare thing in movies nowadays, so it’s refreshing to have a truly honest and forthright hero who lives up to his ideals.

Captain America may be Marvel Studio’s best film. As they did with Iron Man, they boiled down the essence of one of their most popular heroes, cast the right actor to play him, and matched the story and tone of the film to the feel of the classic comic books. Yes, Captain America occasionally feels corny, but like with Superman, Captain America demands such a gung-ho Boy Scout tone. Marvel Studios has really proved that they’re committed to getting their characters right and making great entertainment to boot. If next year’s TheAvengers can match Iron Man or Captain America, the movie-going public is in for a real treat.

About Aren

Aren likes big movies and he likes small movies. He'll sing the praises of the latest Hollywood sci-fi epic while simultaneously lambasting people for not getting into Hong Kong cinema. He detests egotism in film and film criticism, but is a sucker for earnest spectacle. While he tends to skew more modern in his viewing choices, he thinks film looks best in black and white, especially when directed by Akira Kurosawa. His favourite genres are science fiction and animation, but he'll watch anything so long as it's interesting. He's a prairie boy, born and raised. When he's not writing about movies, he's making them. You can watch his 2013 sci-fi short QUANTOM here: http://vimeo.com/66512643.
His email is arenbergstrom@gmail.com.
His favourite movies are 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968), BEN-HUR (1959), BLUE VELVET (1986), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001), MINORITY REPORT (2002), PSYCHO (1960), RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981), SEVEN SAMURAI (1954), SPIRITED AWAY (2001), and STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983).
His favourite directors are Hayao Miyazaki, Akira Kurosawa, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, James Cameron, David Cronenberg, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Terrence Malick, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, and Johnnie To.

5 Comments

I’m intrigued by the filmmakers’ approach to avoid the jingoism that could have easily crept into the film. Captain America may be the ideal American, but that doesn’t make him a mindless drone of the American government. Steve Rogers is a righteous man, and the changes in his body merely align his physical form with his inward, superbly strong, self. Unlike almost every other superhero in the movies right now, the Captain has no angst, demons, or deep flaws.

Iron Man may have some funner moments, but overall I think Captain America is superior because the ending isn’t a let-down. I think some people wrongly idealize the first Iron Man, which I still consider a really good film though.

You mentioned the ending, Anton. Do you think it would have been stronger if they had ended at the crash instead of modern day New York or was it the right thing to bring him to the current era? Or do I really have to look at all these as a deck of movies from now on?

(In any case, I did like that they were able to maintain Anders’ ‘tragic figure’ while still moving him into the future by quickly telling us that Capt. felt he lost the life he could have had. Like many things in this film it could have very easily been diminished but instead worked well.)

First off, I think it’s important to keep in mind that Marvel Studios are trying to create a film universe. However, no film, even if it needs to fit in with a series of others, should merely be a promotion for a later, bigger one. And I don’t think Marvel has does that yet.

I imagine The Avengers is already close to over-stuffed, so the less they save for that one, such as the introduction of Cap to nowadays, the better. I don’t think the ending diminished the film in any way, and I agree with Anders that it adds a sense of tragedy to the character. This good man, who gave everything for his country willingly, gets no reward. He only loses what he wanted.

“None of this would cause lasting damage were it not for the modern-day bookends that make for a miserable climax and rob Cap of his overdue glory. The Han Solo routine should really have been reserved for the pre-credits of The Avengers; shoving Cap into cold storage at the close of his solo debut is a bush league dramatic error – if nobody your hero saves survives to the final credits, his mission is meaningless.”

I really disagree with his closing thoughts. Cap waking up in the future is not the climax of the film. Furthermore, robbing Cap of his glory and having everyone he saves disappear in what seems to him an instant adds poignancy to the story, and creates perhaps some bitterness and resentment in Cap for Joss Whedon to work with in The Avengers.

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